A chum of mine, who is a high school teacher, wrote to me and used the acronym LELL as if I would know what it meant. I didn't. In response to my inquiry, he said it means a Limited English Language Learner. I then asked where that phrase arose and he did not know. It sounds like one of those phrases that originates in legislation and is then shortened by those who have to use it, because it is in the law, repeatedly. But does anybody know?

Not I, but: 50 ghits, all or mostly last names. And this:

We found 14894 matches for Lell in our records: ... German: descriptive nickname from the Swabian word lell, läll ‘twisted mouth'

LELL and "Limited English Language Learner" get no ghits, but ELL and "English Language Learner" get about 70K ghits.

Nonpublic School and Agency Final Regulations
Title 5, California Code of Regulations Division 1, Chapter 3, Subchapter 1 Special Education/ Nonpublic School and Agency

§ 3001. Definitions

In addition to those found in Education Code sections 56020-56033, Public Law 94-142 as amended (20 USC 1401 et seq.), and Title 34, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 300 and 301, the following definitions are provided:

......

(s) Linguistically appropriate goals, objectives, and programs means:

(1)

(A) Those activities which lead to the development of English language proficiency; and

(B) Those instructional systems either at the elementary or secondary level which meet the language development needs of the limited English language learner.

limited English language learner set me thinking: who, or what, is limited here? and, by design or by necessity?

Or either it's Laughed Extremely LoudLy.

At a guess, it's the learner's command of English that is limited. So, we could expand the phrase to 'learner with limited English language (skills)'.

Then we need a hyphen! Or two. But where?

learner with limited English-language (skills)

Quote:

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learner with limited English-language (skills)

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Yeahbut® that doesn't fit the acronym.